Acetylene generator and torch.



ALEXANDER F.YJ. JOHNSON (NOW BY lJUDICIAL CHANGE OF 'NAME ALEXANDER F.JENKINS). ACETYEENE GENERATOR AND'TORCH. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2o.1907.

1,011,436, Patented Dec.-12,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ALEXANDER P. J. JOHNSON (NOW BYl JUDICIAL CHANGE 0F NAME ALEXANDER F.JENKNS). AGBTYLENB GENERATOR AND TORCH.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

.APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s2/Vim enea UNITED sIATEs PATENT oEEIoE. l

ALEXANDER F. J. JOHNSON; `(Now EY JUDICIAL CHANGE Aor NAMEALEXAia-EEE.r.

JENKINS,) 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNR TO ALEXANDER MILBUBLN COM-lPANY, 0F BALTIMORE/MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

AACE'rYLruiiE GENEEATOE AND Tonen.

eaten-tea Dee. 1 2, 1911.

Applicationled November 294y 1907. Serial No. 404,307.

generators and torches of the portable type intended for use bycontractors, engineering concerns and the like to carry on constructionor other work by night and in darkplaces. 'l

The invention has for one of its objects to'improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of apparatus of this character so as to becomparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, designed to standyrough usage in the hands of unskilled per'- sons, and readilymanipulated.

A further object of the invention-is to provide a generator in which thegenerating element has combinedtherewith a washer through which the gasis. conducted for purifying .before it passes to the point ofconsumption, the said element and washer constituting a unitaryvstructure on unit,

which can be sold to the trade withpr with-- A out an outer watercontaining casing or tank.` as no special kind of tankl will berequired, and in fact an ordinary barrel may be employed to receive theunit and the water in which the latter is submerged.

Another object of the invention is to arf range the washer onthe-generator and 'to provide a simple means for conducting the gas fromthe generator to and through the washer, and to the torch or burner,which may be mounted directly on thegenerator by means of a standard, orconnected theref with by a hose orV the :like for supplying one or lmoreburners located at a distance from the generator.

hereinafter and set forth with particularity .Viththese, and otherobjects in view, the invention comprises the various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully describedin .the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments oftheinvention, Figure 1 is a Central veitical section of.l

the complete' apparatus, with portions nin` elevation; Figs. 2, 3 and 4Cviews of various modifications of the invention. 'Fig 'is a detail viewof the spring lock for holding the' inner and outer cylinders ofthegen'- erator together. Fig. 6 is a' detail sectional view on line .6nd,Fig. 1.

to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

the tank or casing for the generator, and it may be of any preferredconstruction, and a barrel or other available receptacle may beemployed. The tank is adapted to holdV `water and submerged therein isthe generator B, which is readily removable for recharging with carbidor for other purposes.

Referring to the drawings, Adesignates Similar referencecharactcrs areemployed',

` The generator comprises an outer cylinder i l which is open at itsbottom and closedat its top, ,and 'housed therein is an inner -`cylinder2 which is open 'at its top and closed at its bot-toni. The innercylinder is inserted and removed through the open bottom Aof the outercylinder, and the two arevlocked together so that they can be removedfrom or` placed in the tank A at one time. The locks ing device employedfor this purpose con# sists of a stiff leaf spring 3 secured to theoutside of the cylindrical wall of thepart 2,.

and the lower end of the spring isadapted to enter anotch 4 in the topedge of an internal band 5k secured to the outer cylinder at the bottomthereof. In assembling the outer over the inner cylinder, the springwill 'be pressed inwardly by the band 5 coming' int-o contact therewith'and as the band passes beyond the lower end of the spring, the latterwill fly voutwardly and engaged over the top of the band. If the springdoes not Venter the notch 4 at once, the outercylind'er is turned backor forth until the spring snaps in to the notch, and wheny this occursthe spring will'beopposite an open-y ing 6 in the outer cylinder', whichopening permits of the insertion of a linger for releasing the springwhen it is desired to Adisconnect the cylinders. i'

' eThe inner cylinder 21isy of somewhat less ldiameter than the outervso that water can enter betweenthe two cylinders and water-v feedsfintothe inner one through the inlet openings 7 which are provided inthe'wall of the cylinder 2 at diierent heights, so that Awhen the demandforwater is light it willi pass through only the lowermost opening,

and as the demand increases the water will pass also through one or moreof the other openings. The water is` directed downwardly to the bottomof the inner cylinder bya shield 8 suitably secured to the latter,

and water then flows to the carbid. A gas pressure will now be producedwhich has the` effect of. holding back the flow of water to the 'carbid'and should the valve be closed the back pressure of the gas willentirely stop the water feed. But as long as gas is consumed by theburner water will feed lin just suiiicentI quantity to generate thedesil-ed gas. The holders C are in the form of trays fittedin andresting one on anotherl the cylinder 2, and if desired. the trays maybedivided into carbid holding compartments by partitions 9, the waterentering the compartments to act on the carbid through openings 10arranged at different levels, so that water will enter the compartmentsof the several trays successively and when the carbid is consumed thewater lwill have reached the level shown. The generated gas passesupwardly and flows out from the generator by way, of an outlet pipe "l1which has its lower end secured to the top of the outer cylinder andcommunieating with the latter through an opening in the said top.

The gas, before being conducted away to the point of consumption, ispassed through a washer to be puriiied. For this purpose a washer D isarranged on the generator and forms therewith a unitary structure. Asshown in Fig. 1, it consistsof a frusto-conical receptacle 12 resting onand secured tothe top of the generator, and the bottom of the receptacleis formed by the top of the cylinder 1. In the washer and surroundingthe outlet pipe 11 is another pipe 13 which is closed at its upper endso as to receive the gas from the inner pipe and conduct it downwardlyto the apertures 14, which latter admit the gas to the washer. The gaspasses through the water 15 to be cleansed and then rises to the top ofthe washer from which it is conducted away to be consumed. Surroundingthe nupper end 0f the pipe 13 is a tube that communicates with and restson the washer and carried by the u per end of this tube is a burnerstandard having a swinging ction 16 which is equipped with a burne 17 ofany approved form, the supply of gas to the burner 4"being controlledVby the valve 18. It will thus be seen that the generator, washer andburner constitute a self-contained structure which is entirely separatefrom the tank and no piping or connectings between the .generator andwasher and the tank are required. The washer is filled by means of anopening 19 which is normally closed by a plug 20. The washer is emptiedthrqugh this opening and also the level of the4 water determined. p

When the generator is furnished with a tank, a locking device isemployed for holding the generator in place so that it will not beinadvertently removed by a person attempting to transportthe apparatusfrom place to place by taking hold of the burner standard. This devicecomprises in the present instance a` leaf-spring 25 which has its upperend secured to the tank and its lower end disposed to engage over thetop of the generator.

In order to determine the amount of unconsumed carbid in the generatorat any time, a level indicator'F is mounted in the tank. When thegenerator is fully charged and before any of the carbid is acted on bythe water the level of the latter will be even with the upper divisionof the indicator or scale. As the carbid is consumed the water levelchanges and by suitable divisions on the scale the fraction ofunconsumed carbid i can be quickly ascertained.

One of thevimportant advantages result- ,ing from locating the washer onthe .generator, resides in the fact that the weight of the water in thewasher tends to hold the generator submerged, as for instance, when thegenerator is used in an ordinary barrel or the'like without the lock 25.It may be V `has its outlet end submerged in the water in the washer. Inthis instance the washed gas is conducted away from the washer by a hose22which may supply one or more burnerslocated remotely to the generator.In Fig. 3, the washer D is shown set partially into the generator-andthe inverted U- shaped pipe 23 extends through the side of the washer,while in the form shown in Fig. 4, the pipe 24 leads into the top of thewasher and conducts gas to the latter from the generator. y

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing the advantages of the construction and--getherrwith theapparatus` which I now consid,er-to be the bestlembodiment thereof,... I desire ,tobaye itnnderstood that the appara-.:,tus@shownisfmerely illustrative, and that the invention canfbecarried out in other Ways, Within-the Scope of theclaims. lVhatIclaiInas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. portable Aacetylene generator consisting of separable inner and outerdrums, the outer drum being open at its bottom and assembled over thetop vofthe inner drum, the inner drum being open at its top, means forholding carbid in the inner drum, a gasoutlet pipe vhaving its lower endanchored on the top of the outer-drum and vopen at both ends to permitgas to discharge therethrough from the outer drum, a pipe of largerdiameterl surrounding` the first-mentioned pipe and closed-in its top, awasher disposed on the top `of the outer drum and surrounding the lowerend ofthe said pipe, a gas discharging means rising from the top of thewasher and forming a'handle rigidly connected with the generator,'aburner connected with the said discharging means, in

combination with a water-containing tank of such vdepth that thegenerator is sub- ,mergedI therein with the said discharge meansextending out of the tank to be gripped in inserting ory removing thegen erator. j

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of agenerator comprising an inner drum open at its top and closed at itsbottom, an outer drum closed at its top and openat its bottom forassembling over the top'of the inner drum and being of larger diameterthan the latter to form an annular water space in which water can riseto enter the inner drum, and means for holding carbid in the inner drum,a locking device for holding the drums in assembled relation duringinsertion and removal of the generator, and means carried entirely bythegenerator for conducting gas away'from the latter; with ,awater-containi'nga tank Vin which the generator is submerged andremovably held in place, the generator being so disposed that the bottomof the annular water space thereof is in free communication with thespace surrounding the generator to permit water to freely enter thegenerator 'from the tank.

In an apparatus of theclass described, the combination of a tank open atthe top,

with a generator separate from and remov-y ably submerged in the tankand free at all times to turn about its axis in the tank, an

outlet pipe xed on and movable with the generator and forming a handlefor the genator when the latter-'is turned tor'*directing` eneratorbein@ ermanentl 1 connected to erator in placing and removing? thellatter 'into-and from the tank, and a'burnen'carrying armv on thepipe4arranged to swinjgon a horizontal axis rand kto move wlth'the'generthelame in any direction.

4. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination yof a tank, with a 'generator removably mounted therein,said generator comprising an inner drum, a spring secured to the outsidethereof with its lower end free and standing away from the drum, anouterdrum surrounding the inner drum, an

yinternal `reinforcing .band secured tol and extending entirely aroundthe outer drum so and arranged to be engaged bythe lower end of thespring to lockthe inner and outer fdrums together, and means vforholding carbid in the inner drum..y l i 5. In an apparatus of the lclassdescribed, the combination of a generator, a washer mounted on the topthereof and provided with a filling and emptying opening, said openingserving to determine the level of the water in the washer, a stopper forthe opening, and a' burner carrying conduit connected with the washer,with a tankcontaining the said generator and out of which the saidconduit rises to form a handlewhereby the generator can be inserted orremoved, and a locking device for normally locking the geneator in thetank.

G. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of agenerator composed of an outer closed top drum and an opentopcarbid-holding inner drum, a washer onthe top of and fixed to the outerdrum, means for conducting gas from the top of the generator to thebottom of the washer, said washer and form a unitary structure, anoutletconduit connected with the top of the washer and formingy a burnersupport, with a tank in which the generator is submerged and out ofwhich the outlet conduit rises, said generator being' capableot' turningin the tank for throwing the ila-me in a horizontal plane.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a tank, agenerator sub `merged therein, anda water'level indicator 115 attachedto and arranged wholly within the tank to be submerged in the watertherein for determining the amount of carbid in the generator at anytime.

8. A portable generator and torch com- 12,0 prising a water-containingtank having an opening at the top; and a gas generating, washing andburning unit entirely separate from the tank and insertible into andremovable rom the latter through the open top, said unit consisting ofthe following; thev first drum having anopen bottom resting on thebottom of the tank and'of suchheight as to be submerged in the latter, aclosed bottom and open top carbid-holding drum" remov- 1,30

ably mounted in the outer drum, a Washer abot'e the first drum andhaving its bottom formed by the top thereof, means for conducting gasfrom the top of the first drum to the Washer, a discharge means leadingfrom the Washer and forming a handle rising out of the tank for thesaidunit, and a burner connected with the discharge means.

9. A portable generator and torch including a Water-containing tank'openat the top, a generator normally Within and entirely separate frogm thetank and removable from the top thereof, an upwardly extendinggas-conducting pipe on the top of the .generator serving as a handle tobe grasped 15 ythe generator and to snap over and engage 20 the latterfor preventing lifting thereof.

In testimony whereof I alx my signature l in presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER F. J. JOHNSON.

lVitnesses:

CHATTIN BRoDWAY, A. BmrLAWsm.

